CAROLEE BENNETT SHERWOOD

this mom goes back to work: hump-day #1

March 2, 2011

It’s the end of the day Wednesday. And since I managed to avoid the car accident directly in front of me on the way home from work this evening (and the debris that tumbled all over the ramp), my first three days back at work have gone off without a hitch.

Phew.

It’s hardly a longstanding record, but I am certainly pleased. And I’m exhausted. I have been saying to friends that I am anxious to see how my energy settles out after the job isn’t so new. I imagine I’m expending lots and lots of low-level energy just because it’s new and without even being aware that I’m doing it.

I know I will probably be tired a lot even when it’s old news, but maybe not quite so much. At least for the time-being, it’s a “good tired.” Even still, this post is going to hop, skip and jump around a lot instead of trying to assemble any kind of story with a beginning, middle and end. Here goes!

I am spending a lot of time editing, doing some writing of content and doing a ton of social media research online. And I am surrounded by people who use blogs and Facebook and Twitter for a living. How cool is that?!

That bad habit I had — you know the one (the ONLY one, ha!) — of using all lowercase letters in my email is really hard to break, especially when using a regular computer keyboard instead of a laptop keyboard, which I prefer and am much faster on.

I haven’t attempted, nor thought of attempting, a single poem.

I have a cubicle and a name plate. Both were all ready for me when I arrived on Monday and both are pictured in the photo above. On Monday, there was also a meet & greet with bagels and donuts to celebrate my arrival. Very welcoming and endearing! You can see that I haven’t really decorated yet. The cubicle is large, as are the two impressive flat-screen monitors at my desk. It really is necessary. Already, I need to have several windows open as workspace all at once.

The worst part of the week so far is a battle with knee-highs and other useless nylon-type contraptions for wearing with dress shoes. Despite the casual dress code, I still like to wear cute shoes. There are no good sock solutions for cute shoes. Dear. God.

I haven’t had the brain energy for planning meals for the family. Tonight was my first night to be responsible for dinner, and I failed. I wasn’t organized enough, and I wasn’t energetic enough. And so we ended up at the local diner (photo left; that’s my youngest. Can you believe it?). I warned them that this is not our new habit. We will not be eating at the diner every night that Mommy is in charge. At least I was responsible enough not to order them dessert. We waited until we got home where we ate brownies.

In addition to the cubicle, I now have a commute. I pass through Albany on my way to and from work, and so I am fighting other commuters on the half of the drive I’m heading toward Albany in the morning and the half of the drive I’m heading away from it in the evening. It’s about 25 minutes if I’m going between the office and home. It’s about 35 minutes between the office and where the kids were after school today.

I have been surprised by how little time it feels like I have in the morning and in the evening. I had tried to anticipate how the length of the workday would feel, but I hadn’t spent any time imagining the size of the space around it.

On Monday, I took notes on a yellow pad all day. On Tuesday, I started to transition to my iPad. And today, I took notes and made lists almost exclusively on my iPad. I have been in flux with it here at home, turning to paper sometimes still, but in the office it seems to be more efficient. Of course, it’s also possible that I’ve just become more adept with it over the past couple of months.

This week, it is taking the collaboration of four or five families to accomplish what we used to be able to do on our own for the kids. I’m grateful to have the assistance. But wow!

That’s all, kids, for now. Morning comes early, as they say. I’m figuring out that the “they” in that sentence refers to people who have to get up and go to work.

There is something in the air! I taught a lesson on Fibonacci poetry at my local community college and my heart strings got tugged. I thought, “Wow. Wouldn’t it be cool to be with you guys for longer? Wouldn’t it be cool to do this a couple times a week? Wouldn’t it be cool to….” oh, I so easily fall in love. I worked so hard to love my unconventional life style and then this compelling call… even sitting on my sofa with my laptop on my knees there is a part of me skipping down my spine chanting, “Wouldn’t it be cool to…”

I am enjoying reading of your adventure, Carolee. Perhaps for me it is like holding a friend’s newborn and getting baby lust.